Improvement in revolving fire-arms



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. M. STORM.

Revolver.

Patented Mar. 11, 1856.

NFEIERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER WASHINGTON, D C.

2 Sheets'--Sheet 2 W. M. STORM.

Revolver.

Patented Mar. 11, 1856 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I WM. MT. STORM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN REVOLVING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming partof Letters Patent No. 14,420, dated March 11,1854.

To all whom it may concern:

ience, quickness, and certainty in the operations of loading anddischarging under the comparatively difficult and hitherto neglectedcontingencies of being in action on horseback or in a boat; also, torenderimpossible the usual fouling by smoke, &c.

Figure l is a section; Fig. 2, a side elevation; Fig. 3, an exterior topview; Fig. 4, a muzzle view of chambered cylinder; Fig. 5, an interiorface view or elevation of apron-piece, in which is carried and supportedthe barrel and the front center on which the cylinder turns. .Fig. 6 isa full face view of the revolving and locking wheel hereinafterdescribed. Fig. 7 is the bush-ring belonging in the rear of thecylinder, and whose character is hereinafter specified. Fig. 8 is a topor plan view of the hammer; Fig. 9, a similar view of the (log; Fig. 10,the same of the revolving pawl.

A is the barrel; B, the cylinder, whose front end turns on the centerpoint, I). The bushring, Fig. 7, and 7: Fig. 1, being driven down to ashoulder in the breech of the shoulder, but projecting a'little beyondit, receives the recoil of discharge. It also projects over the shortsleeve 0, projecting from the solid stock, which is a single castingfrom the hinge P to the extremity of the handle, including the guard Eand cask F. O constitutes the rear center on which the cylinder turns.

Behind the recoil-shield g is the revolving and locking wheel 6, fixedon the revolving shaft 03, which has at the opposite end the button-headi 'of the size of c, and both projecting into and fitting the bush-ring7. The joint between i and c is thus covered, and beyond the fire of thecap, so that no smoke can find its way (even if the shaft i were not, asit is, close fitting) into the lock to foulit, an almost headed screw.70 in t" slides snugly but freely into the slot in 7, and thus when thesaid button, shaft, and wheel 6 revolve, the cylinder is forced withthem.

I is the hammer; X, its fulcrum, below which its heel projects, andin-which, at X is hung the dog 9, the jaws 1 and 2 of which (see Fig. 9)span said heel of the hammer. These jaws also project downward, andreceive between them the jaw 3 of the pawl, Fig. 10, the whole beingconnected by screw X, as a fulcrum t0 the pawl. Thus, as seen, thehammer, pawl, dog, and trigger are all simple levers of the first order.X is the fulcrum of the trigger.

In the face of wheel 6 are five circular conical indentations, l 2 3 45, in purpose the equivalents of so many teeth of an ordinary ratchet.On the edge of this Wheel are as many notches, a", b", c", d", and 0*.By these the cylinder is surely stopped from revolving too far, and thenlocked in place.

The operation is as follows: When the trigger is pulled its top (asegment of an eccentrio) moves forward, pulling with it the dog, thehook on the forward end of which catches over or into a shoulder ornotch in the head of the trigger, as seen, and the nose of the dog isso, as will be understood,carried upward as well as'forward. The pointof the pawl resting in one of the indentations in the face of wheel 6,forces the latter at the same timeto revolve. Projecting from the top ofthe head of the dog is the flange or crest Z of the same thickness asthe bottom of the notches in the edge of wheel 6. Now, the simultaneousrotation of 6 and the forward and upward movement of the crest Z bringthe side of the latter at the proper moment against the steeper andhigher side of the locking-notch in the edge of 6, and rotation of thecylinder is stopped, while at the same instant the. under surface of theforward end of Z is borne on the conical projecting point of anadjustable tripping-screw, Z, and any further pull of the trigger forcesthe top of Z into the bottom of the locking-notch, whereon the hook ofthe dog is freed from the trigger, when the hammer would fall and thedischarge take place; but as a weapon going off, as would then he thecase, does not permit a deliberate aim, owing to the uncertainty to theoperator of the instant the hammer is to fall, I provide another notchor shoulder (a screw is best) on the rear of the head ofthe trigger atS, upon which a projection on the bottom of the hammer (shown in Fig. 1by red dotted lines) catches at the instant the forward notch on thetrigger releases the projection or hook of the dog, so that while thetrigger is held firmly back in its then position the hammer remainscocked; but if the trigger is the least slackened forward, the tooth onthe hammer is released from it and the discharge takes place. Thus theinstant of discharge is both known and controlled, and deliberate aimallowed. v

The mainspring in my weapon in itself per- =forms all the duties derivedfrom several springs in more usual forms of construction. It has at oneofit-s extremities the usual bifurcated hook, which hooks under the pinZ of the pawl, Fig. 10. On distension it will, as will be clear, pressdown the forward end of the pawl, preventing it from slipping from therevolving indentations, and through the pawl bear down the forward endof the dog on the trigger and through the dog bear down the head of thehammer on the cones-the latter being the only usual duty of amainspring. After discharge, the downward pressure of the hook of thedog upon the then steeply-inclined and eccentric top of the triggerforces (as the finger relaxes the pull) the latter back into.theposition shown in Fig. 1, and causes the parts to take the properarrangement for another discharge by another pull, &c. If the stationaryend of the 'mainspring was also a fixed end, a link'would be necessaryto connect its opposite end with the pawl as both vibrate. To save thisthe stationary end is perforated and swiveled on a pinor screw, K, andbetween a couple of lugs or jaws projecting from the stock. The springis thus enabled in itself to perform the duties of a link in'amannerreadily understood.

The pin m in the head of the'trigger, by

striking the bottom of the recess in front of it, prevents theoccurrence of a jerk by the sudden jumping farther of the trigger whenthe resistance to the pull of the finger, by the tension of themainspring when the parts detach to allow the fall of the-hammer,ceases.

Through the head of the hammer is a hole, 12, which, when the hammer isatfull-cock, comes horizontally in the line of sight and aids intakingaim. I employ, however, in addition a spring-back-crotch sightvery similar to those of ordinary hunting-rifles. This sight or spring(marked 0) serves, in a manner presently understood, to lock the barreland cylinder together after loading and in place for firing. Thisspring, which is fastened to the barrel by the usual block and dovetail,has at its rear end a heavy lip or hook, which hooks into acorresponding opening in the casqne F, which latter surrounds andprotects the cylinder, ex-

tending as far forward as the face of the latter,

and forms a holder or receptacle for it while being loaded, offering avery great convenience. To the casque, by the hinge P, is joined theapron-piece, (see Fig. 5,) which, together with the barrel and center b,is turned down away from the cylinder, leaving the chambers as fullyexposed as in Fig. 4 for loading. To turn down the apron-piece in thismanner, 0 is seized by the forefinger and thumb under the ears 0, andvthe lip 19 is lifted out of the recess, and in the operation theapron-piece thrown forward and turned down out of the way. Afterloading, seize the barrel, and pressing it up to the horizontalposition, the rear of lip 2, being beveled, on striking the edge of thecasque raises the spring, slides over, and snaps into its place, thewhole operation of locking and unlocking being much like opening orclosing a jack-knife.

When the barrel is turned down and the cylinder loaded the latter-may bepushed forward in the casque by the thumba 9 for more easy capping; butto preventdropping out and losing the cylinder while in motion, as onhorseback, or in action or like emergency, there is a circumferentialrecess turned upon its exterior from 1' to 1", and into this, but notquite touching, projects the point of the safetyscrew Q, which isstationary in the casque at a convenient point.

Now the entire withdrawal of the cylinder from the casque cannot beeffected without Q being first purposely in part withdrawn. If theweapon be carried in a trunk, for instance, while loaded, the screw Q,by being screwed firmly in against the cylinder, fastens the entireworks from operation, thus tending to prevent damage to the weapon or'accidenta discharge.

The cones have points projecting inward, as seen, their object being topuncture a cartridge when a cartridge is used. As in a ride the barrelwould be too heavy to hinge and turn down, it could be arranged to loadwithout detaching the cylinder and barrel.

I have anticipated the use of a long trigger arranged to fold up, whennot in use, under the weapon; but I prefer the form shown.

Having now fully described my improved revolver, what I claim and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. Extending the casque forward as far as the face of the cylinder andsurrounding it to form a receptacle or holder for it while loading, incombination with a hinged apron-piece, Fig. 5.

2. In combination with the so arranged barrel and casque, and forlocking them together, the

- inclined plane or projection at its forward end to meet the purpose ofsuch combination, an adjustable tripping-screw, whereby, despite ofwear, &c., the detachment of the dog from the sear may be efl'ectedsooner or later in accordance with the needed distance of revolution ofthe many-chambered cylinder.

6. Extending the rear of said dog downward from where it connects to theheel of the hammer and connecting the pawl directly thereto, by whichmeans the pull on the dog by the trigger directly operates the pawl topush around the cylinder.

7. Extending the pawl beyond where it is connected to the downwardextension or heel of the dog and connecting the mainsprin g to the partso extended, by which means the pull of the dog on the pawl distends themainspring, while the latter in being distended presses the point of thepawl more firmly into the revolving holes or indentations in the face ofthe revolving wheel, preventing any slip while revolving the cylinder,and in all points rendering the use of a pawl-spring unnecessary.

8. Pivotin g the usually fixed end of the mainspring in the mannerexplained, so that while stationary it shall not be fixed, but free tocompensate for its own vibration and that of the rear of the pawl, thusrendering the use of the usual vibrating or connecting link between themainspring and the rest of the lock unnecessary, despite of theimmediate connection of the mainspring to said pawl.

9. Thelocking-notchesintherevolvingwheel 6, or its equivalent, incombination with the crest on the dog, for the purpose of securing thestoppage and lochin g fast of the cylinder atthe proper position fordischarge, as set forth.

10. In combination with the forward shoulder or detent on the head orsearot' the trigger, the screw projection or detent on the rear of thehead or sear of said trigger, to the end that after said forward detentor hook ceases to act by the dog being thrown off to lock the revolvingwheel 6, and thereby the cylinder,in place, the hammer shall notimmediately fall, but be retained on cock to give opportunity fordeliberate aim, as explained, said rear projection or detent catching atthis point on the .downward prolongation of the heel of the hammer forthis purpose, the whole being arranged and acting in conjunction asexplained.

WM. MT. STORM.

Witnesses:

A. J. ROBERTSON, WM. H. STORM.

